recollections
by bubblegumwine
Summary: "It's not something I can forget easily." —of fond memories, broken fairytales, and a love that lasts between a human and an android. Lenrin.


**a/n:** i hadn't intended for this to be as long as it is now welp ;; it was inspired by that one heartbreaking scene in _Captain America: Winter Soldier_ (spoilers if you haven't watched it yet), but what really got me to write was when my mind mashed up elements of Rin's _Kokoro_ and _A.I. Artificial Intelligence_—i'd meant to write something along those lines for a while now haaa

the tenses in this story changes back and forth a lot, but it's entirely intentional. you will also find past onesided!lenmiku in bite-sized pieces heh

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"...what."

A girl with a soft white bow weaved in her hair stared down at the male sprawled on her doorstep, one hand still clutching at the trash-bag she'd meant to toss.

She only became more confused and slightly disturbed when she bent over for a closer inspection. His blue hoodie and pale sleeveless shirt looked pretty ratty—his jeans were also worse for wear—but the shiny white headphones slung around his neck seemed almost brand-new. Other than that, he didn't seem to be bleeding or hurt anywhere.

"I didn't hire any ninja assassins, so why in the name of all things holy do I have a dead guy on my doorstep," she deadpanned, sitting cross-legged on the floor and shaking her head. "Shimoda Rin, you are in so deep shit I can't even see you anymore. Even if the dude _is_ kind of hot, in a strange look-alike kinda way."

Indeed, the male was handsome—young but not really, as though his real age couldn't be pinpointed and wasn't meant to be. He had long eyelashes grazing pale cheeks and downy blond hair the same shade and length as hers; if not for the lean chest and boyish jawline, the girl would've thought she had somehow landed herself her own dead body.

"Wait a second, is he breathing?" Rin abandoned her trash-bag and scooted over for a better look, squinting a little.

She prodded him carefully, resting her ear over his chest to listen for a heartbeat. Huh, he was actually warmer than she'd assumed, but—nothing.

Her gaze landed on his lips.

"Well, you know what they say about waking up sleeping beauties," she joked half-heartedly, her hands on either side of the male's body and hovering over him. There was a moment of contemplation, before: "...aw, what the heck—why not."

Rin pressed her lips against his carefully, a part of her despairing over the thought of losing her first kiss to a goddamn corpse—

"Mmph?!"

Without warning, the girl felt strong arms encircle her and draw her closer, making her topple onto the unknown blond. Her jaw went slack in her bewilderment, and he seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

It seemed like forever before she was released, and she blinked her eyes open dazedly to find curious blue eyes boring into her own.

"Thanks for waking me up, pretty mistress!" The male chirped, stroking her cheek with a fondness that should not be seen in a supposedly-dead person. "My name is..."

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**recollections**

_yes, that day, at that time,  
in every memory—  
your heart is beginning to overflow._

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"...Len? Is that you?"

The faint hint of a smile ghosts over his lips as he takes a seat in the chair next to her. "Yeah, it's me. How are you doing, Rin?"

"Fine, fine—just reminiscing the good old days... Remember when we first met?" She chuckles. "Almost like the first chapter straight out of a fairytale, huh?"

"Yeah, sure," Len says dryly. "You shrieked and kicked me upside the head, screaming about a pervert who came back from the dead."

"Hey, you stole my first kiss _and_ you talked like you were completely off your rocker—that's how any other fourteen-year-old would react under the same circumstances!" Rin accuses, before rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "And then after the whole awkward introduction and getting-along phase, you insisted on fetching me to school..."

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"You don't need to walk me, Len, really," the girl protested, trying to snatch back her schoolbag from Len's reach.

"Nonsense," he said mildly, tugging at the oversized shirt Rin had 'borrowed' from her father's closet. _Just make do with it for now_, she'd told him. _I'll get you some nice clothes when I save up some of my allowance, okay?_ "It's a Vocaloid's job to ensure his mistress' safety."

"D-don't say things like 'mistress' so casually!" Rin squeaked, uncharacteristically flustered as she noted a passer-by who'd overheard shoot her a knowing smirk. With as much dignity as she could muster, she continued, "I need you to keep a low profile and stay in my room, out of sight from my parents—who knows when they'll come home. No one is to know that you're not human, alright? _No one._ It's... it's our little secret, alright?"

From his expression, the male seemed quietly pleased at the thought of having something only he got to share with his mistress. She had spared no efforts for him, from providing him with fresh clothes to giving him a shower—or as much of a shower she could give, before he jumped up with lots of soap and nothing else and got kicked by her again—and he really appreciated it.

She even loaned him one of her favourite white ribbons, Len noted, reaching an idle hand up to finger the soft material keeping some of his hair in a ponytail. Perhaps he should do something with the house in return for her kindness.

He brightened up at the thought, and upon nearing school grounds, he all but shoved the girl her bag and feathered his lips against the crown of her head, mimicking the action he'd witnessed from a parent sending off their own child nearby. "I'll pick you up later after school, alright?"

Rin pinked, clutching at the place he'd kissed. After what she'd just said about keeping a low profile—? "H-hey!"

With the grace of an alley cat, he jumped over the school gates in one full leap and sprinted away at top speed, unaware that several students were gaping after him in his excitement.

.

Len blushes furiously as she giggles. "I didn't know any better then, d-dammit..." He grumbles, thoroughly flustered. "Stop laughing already, jeez!"

She takes a deep breath to regulate her breathing, her eyes still twinkling with mirth. "The house had been turned upside-down after your 'spring-cleaning' and I honestly thought a tornado had hit when I got home—"

"Rin, _no_," the male groans, burying his burning face into his hands. "Can we not talk about that, seriously? It wasn't exactly the prime time of my life, thank you very much."

"You didn't know a lot of things, back then," Rin muses. "I had to teach you from scratch and had a hard time trying to keep you hidden from my..." She falters, humour draining from her features.

"Your parents," he finishes in quiet understanding.

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Rin hiked up the bottom of her black dress before she knelt down, putting both palms together and looking up at the large, glossy photo of her smiling parents, her face devoid of emotion.

"_There was an accident—I... I'm so sorry, Miss Rin."_

Mr Shion had meant well when he pulled her out of class and broke the news to her as gently as he could, but even the kind, sympathetic look in his eyes seemed so surreal.

Her parents were both workaholics and she never saw them much, but Rin knew they had loved her with every fibre of their being, and worked hard to make ends meet for her sake.

What did they ever do to deserve such an end?

There was a quiet rustling before Len assumed a similar position next to her, far enough to respect her personal space but close enough for her to feel his phantom-warmth by her side.

She loved them so, so dearly—but here she was, keeping them in the dark about the android she'd picked up nearly two months ago.

She never got the chance to tell them—and never would.

The girl's lips thinned out, a terrible sense of numbness spreading throughout her body.

Some daughter she was.

"Mistress Rin," Len said, grazing his knuckles against her shoulder. "Mistress Rin, I'm here."

She turned away, but he shifted to grasp her chin gently. "The right term should be 'I'm sorry', but I know that's the one thing you don't want to hear. I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

"But _they're_ not," Rin growled out, like there was something lodged in her throat. She swallowed thickly. "They're not here anymore. I didn't get to tell them about—about you."

"I'm sure your parents would understand that you didn't mean to hide the truth," the male said carefully, his gaze searching her face. "I'm more concerned about you—are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she intoned flatly, finally jerking her head away and turning to face the front again.

Len considered her for a moment. "...it's okay to cry, you know."

Rin did not respond, but she understood what he meant—ever since she was informed of the tragedy, she had not shed a tear, not even once. Her eyes were dry, but they had lost their usual shine, like she'd aged so much in so little time.

He drew the lifeless girl into his chest, protective and comforting all at once. "I'm here," he said again, his voice almost a whisper. "I'm here—I promise."

_I'll take care of you from now on._

Slowly, she lifted her heavy arms, and hugged him back.

She felt the sinewy muscles under the thin material of his black shirt, the soothing circles he was rubbing over her back, the gentle warmth permeating from every fibre of his being—

But most of all, she felt that he was real.

If Len had felt wet splotches on his clothes that day, he didn't say a thing.

.

"It was such a solemn promise from an android I barely knew," she says lightly, her gaze starbright compared to those dull eyes back then. "Like my very own Prince Charming on his valiant white horse, ready to save the day."

"Yeah, well, I meant it all the same," he mutters, messing up his hair to hide his embarrassment. Looking back, he was actually a lot more openly affectionate when he first met Rin.

Rin hums in contentment. "To earn some money of my own I decided to get a part-time job as a cashier—"

"One of your worst ideas ever to-date, if you will—"

"—and met Kagami Rinto," she finishes, shooting him a look. "He was a colleague—a _friend_, Len."

The male snorts at that, linking his hands and placing them behind his head. "What kind of friend asks a girl out on a date and pulls a fast one like a dickwad?"

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"C'mon, it's just a kiss..."

"I'd rather not," Rin stated firmly, backing away from the taller boy as he advanced on her—until she bumped into the wall behind her. Shit. "Rinto, this really isn't funny... a-ah!"

She pushed at him when his hand crept up her thigh, a sick feeling of dread curling at the bottom of her stomach as she realized she was overpowered. Dammit, why didn't she just listen to Len when he warned her that Rinto was up to no good?

After several tries, the girl managed to duck her head under the arm caging her in, silently thanking her lucky stars for having a petite stature. "It's getting late—I think I better get going now." She hoped he couldn't hear the tremor in her pleasant tone.

Rinto laughed—my, she really was playing had to get. "It's Friday night, Rinny—live a little, won't you?" He approached her again, this time pinning her wrists with one hand to prevent her escape. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it..."

Her breathing hitched when he pressed his hips against hers, nibbling at her neck as she struggled. _Len_, she begged in her mind, screwing her eyes shut. _Len, please, help me_—

_BAM!_

As if hearing her pleas, the weight against her had disappeared, and standing over Rinto was the familiar blond Vocaloid she'd picked up two years ago.

The boy groaned, a steady pain pulsing at the back of his head from the impact against the concrete pavement. "What the hell just—"

"You hurt my mistress," Len hissed lowly, grabbing Rinto by the scruff of his collar. There was a dark, malicious glint in his eyes, something twisted and very much unlike the usual cheer Rin was so used to. "I won't forgive you."

With that, he sent a powerful flying fist into the boy's face, kicking and punching the living daylights out of him. Rin watched the scene unfold with horror—Len didn't look like he was going to stop anytime soon, and Rinto didn't look like he could hold onto his consciousness any longer.

"Len—Len, stop!" The girl shouted desperately. Rinto had gotten his due punishment for what he'd done. "Len! Len, that's enough! Len, stop, you—_you're going to kill him!_" She threw her arms around Len, squeezing his waist tightly.

She would not be able to forgive herself if Len was found to be a murderer for her sake.

Rin felt him freeze under her touch for a tense moment, before relaxing. He looked at her, hair wild and knuckles bruised and eyes almost too far gone. "P-please," she whispered hoarsely. "Just... take me home."

The killer intent in his gaze faded away, leaving a kind, gentle blue she recognized all too well—finally, her Len was back. "Alright," he said, stroking her matted hair quietly, before lifting her in his arms. "Alright. Hold onto me."

Len didn't cast another glance back at Rinto that night as he leaped off—and Rinto, in turn, kept mum about the incident at work, despite his mysterious, heavy injuries.

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"He deserved it."

"He felt me up, sure—but did that really deserve a death warrant?"

"Yes."

Rin stares at him for a while, and when his dead-serious expression doesn't waver, she sighs. "Either way, I was glad you came. To save me, I mean."

Len furrows his eyebrows. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You..." Rin hesitates. "You already warned me, but I didn't listen. So I thought you'd just... leave me be."

His eyes soften. "You're my mistress—it's my duty to protect you, no matter what. I wouldn't ever let you get hurt by anyone, least of all a sleaze-ball like Rinto."

"I know better now," she mutters, scratching her cheek. "I knew it from the moment I realized."

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"Hm? Mistress Rin, you're still up?" Len asked when he noticed the girl still working on her assignment, hands hovering over the bulky headphones resting around his neck. His battery life was now at 55%, but he supposed charging could wait for later.

"Yeah," she muttered, punching in equations into her calculator with one hand and scribbling down the answers with the other. "This differentiation and integration thing is grating on my nerves."

There was a slight pause. "... I could help—"

"Len, no," Rin sighed, putting down her pen and rubbing the sides of her head. Mathematics really was quite the headache. "We've gone over this before—I want to be able to do well on my own, without you doing all the work for me."

"Not that, silly," he chuckled, walking over to stand behind her. "I meant _this_."

Carefully, he placed his fingers over her temples, massaging them lightly. Her eyelids fluttered—she did feel a bit better, now.

"You look exhausted," Len said after a while, brushing a stray wing of hair behind her ear. "You deserve a break—school is hard for humans, I know."

She made a noise at the back of her throat, and the male decided to take it as a, _Len, I'm tired—please carry me to my bed_, and did exactly that.

"Sing," Rin mumbled sleepily, reaching up a clumsy finger to poke him in the chest. _Sing for me._

The barest hints of a smile flitted across his face. "As you wish, mistress," he murmured, flicking through a small device of his and allowing the soft starting chords of the piano to fill the room.

"_When the seasons change their flow to a spin..."_

Len's voice was soft as snow, high and pretty with a boyish lilt. He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through the girl's blonde locks with a comforting sort of gentleness.

"_When the links start to wear, slowly within..."_

She peered up at him, half-lidded and groggy, memories of Len surfacing in her mind—memories of the Vocaloid and his stupid blue eyes and his stupid laugh and his stupid smile, memories of his equally-stupid banana-hair and uniquely-pleasing singing.

"_Please, don't ever let those ties begin to tear..."_

Of the tangible, tingly warmth she felt stirring in her chest when he brushed against her, and the skip of her heart when her mind wandered towards him, and the way she felt restless and self-conscious around him—

_Oh_, she mused distantly, the rest of her racing thoughts slowly clearing away to cement one single, unwavering conviction just before her eyelids fluttered to a close:

_I'm in love with Len._

"_Or lose them to the wind..."_

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Len has fallen silent in thought.

So that was when she'd first discovered her feelings for him—a non-human Vocaloid, no less.

"It was such a nice, fluffy realization to fall asleep to back then," Rin says, smiling faintly. "To know that the one I had fallen in love with was the strange male I'd found on my doorstep four years back..."

She closes her eyes at their next recollection.

"...until the day I decided to pluck up my courage and confess to you."

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Rin could be a lot of things—lazy, irresponsible, overly mischievous, obnoxious, a prankster...

But more than anything, she was honest.

This fact had never been clearer to him than in this very moment, as she stared up at him with eyes like flickering blue embers and mouth set in a determined line.

"Len, I love you."

He froze, setting the newly-washed plate down beside the sink, frantically sifting through the files in his memory-bank for something, anything he could say to diffuse this unpredictable landmine he had landed on.

"Mistress Rin," he said at last, not daring to lift his head up to look her in the eye. "Mistress Rin, you don't love me. You can't."

She jutted her chin at a defiant angle. "Why not?"

"You... You just—_can't_," the male uttered haltingly, mussing up his own hair with an agitated hand. "Vocaloids aren't... _programmed_ to love. It's not in our software to fall in love with anyone, let alone our masters."

"Bullshit," Rin retorted frankly, burning him with a stare that made him itch to snap something he'd most definitely regret later. "You're not just an android—you're _real_. You have emotions just like any other human; hell, I've seen the way you look at me—you feel something for me, Len, and you can't deny it."

He sighed heavily. Perhaps what she said held some truth, whatwith the level of affection he had for the girl, but... "It doesn't matter," he said, finally turning to meet her unwavering gaze. "I can't love you back, alright? I can't. You'll only get hurt in the end."

"Can't or won't?" She shot back. Before he could reply, she declared, "I love you, and I won't hesitate to show it. I won't hold back."

She smiled, challenge sparking in her eyes.

"Watch me."

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"You declared war on me after that," the male comments dryly. "I think you took the phrase 'all's fair in love and war' a little too seriously."

"Hey, I'd just gotten rejected back then—what else did you expect for me to do?" Despite her defensive words, Rin sounds faintly amused herself. "Backing down would've cramped my style—and besides..." She laces her fingers together on her lap. "I gave up once. Remember?"

Len falls silent. Of course he remembers. He remembers everything; it helps that he has an eidetic memory-bank. He can't forget anything once his mind is set, he knows; others have tried. Still— "It's not something I can forget easily," he says softly.

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"Make way—whoops, sorry—coming through!"

The heavy sound of shoes pounding against gravel echoed dully as she ducked and twisted her way through the morning crowd in the direction of her university, her bookbag bouncing against her leg.

_Shit, I'm late_, Rin chanted mentally, forcing down the wave of panic rising up at the thought of her first period lecturer sending her to the dean—it was her third tardy that month. _Shit, shit, shit—_

Suddenly a hand shot out of the crowd and latched onto her arm, nearly startling the living daylights of the girl.

"—en! _Len!_"

She screeched to a halt. Did she hear that right?

The cool, dainty fingers wrapped around her forearm belonged to a lady Rin did not recognize. With long hair styled into a neat bun and wide eyes that sparkled under the morning rays, the lady was the epitome of cute and pretty—and perhaps also the mascot for her own unique brand of teal.

She locked eyes with Rin for a split second, her eyes searching, before faltering. "Ah, no... it's—it's not. I'm so sorry, I've mistaken you for someone el—"

"How do you know Len?" Rin asked, effectively cutting the lady off, who blinked.

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A little while later, Rin returned home, kicking off her shoes and tossing her keys onto the counter, her bag also thrown to the side carelessly. Her expression was grey, almost ashen—a thunderstorm brewing in the distance.

"Hm? Mistress Rin, you're back already?" Len craned his neck behind to look at her, one hand still pointing the remote control towards the television set. "Did your classes end early today—hey, what's wrong?" He could sense a severe spike of negative emotions in the girl, and immediately turned his full attention to her. "Did something happen?"

With her eyes dark and chin held high, a single word of accusation fell from her lips:

"Liar."

He frowned in confusion. "What are you talking abo—"

"Hatsune Miku," she enunciated slowly. "Does that name ring a bell?"

Len felt whatever he had in his veins go cold.

The girl sneered when she noted how quickly colour had drained from his expression. "I thought so."

"How—"

"I met her today. She mistook me for you, because I was in a rush and didn't have time to fix my hair this morning. After the misunderstanding, I decided to skip class to talk to her." Rin shook her head bitterly. "And talk, we did."

"Mistress—"

"It wasn't a coincidence that you had collapsed on my doorstep six years ago, was it." The girl said it in a way that brooked no room for argument. "Miku's old estate was within the vicinity before she decided to up and move away." There was a fierce spark in her eyes, fiery and determined but so very tired. "She was your previous mistress."

"The mistress you'd fallen in love with." She tilted her head. Said more softly, "Am I right, Len?"

He turned away. Could only whisper hoarsely, "I'm sorry."

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"_When he first confessed to me, I just—I didn't know what to do," Miku admitted, circling her finger around the rim of her glass of vegetable juice. "I hadn't the faintest idea that the family android would develop feelings for me, the way a human could."_

"_I'd smiled like a fool and avoided him for a while, but—that wasn't a permanent solution. I knew I had to do something, so I just..." The teal-haired lady shrugged helplessly. "I tried to push him to hate me. I tried everything I could to spurn him, to snob him, and just—be as coldly mean as I possibly could, for the sole reason of pushing him away."_

"_Because I thought... if Len had the capacity to love, then he's fully capable of hate, right? I didn't want him to harbour those feelings for me when I know full well I can't return them." Her smile was mirthless. "I think... I think he still loved me in the end, no matter what I did."_

_Miku hugged her arms across her chest. "So I did the only thing I could think of—I sent him out on an errand that I knew would take a while, and packed up all my things and left." She laughed; it was an empty, haunting sound. "Cruel, isn't it? I'm a horrible person. I've regretted it, but at the same time... I don't. Because I knew it was the best thing I could do for Len, even if he thought otherwise."_

_From across her, Rin sat there and listened quietly, her own glass of orange juice untouched._

.

"You're still in love with her, aren't you?" She asked finally.

Len hesitated. "I... don't know."

"You miss her," the girl pointed out. "You rejected me with the thought of Miku at the back of your mind, didn't you?"

His lack of an answer was answer enough for her, and she pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes.

"Len, I'm tired," she said. "I found out I loved you when I was eighteen, probably loved you long before that, but—I know you won't return my affections. You love me—but not the way I want you to. Not the way you love Miku."

"And I... I just—I don't know anymore. Don't know what to do, what to say, what to think..." She exhaled shakily. "After I parted ways with Miku, I realized that I can't go on like this, dragging my feet and wishing for a miracle to fall from the sky."

"So... I decided." Rin spread her arms out, and smiled.

"I'm giving up on you, Kagamine Len."

.

They're both silent for a long while, stewing in their own thoughts of that particular memory.

"To just continue being friends and pretend that I'd never said anything in the first place..." Rin muses. "Sometimes I wonder if that was the right thing to do, even though it hurt like hell."

A chuckle escapes his lips. "You've always been impulsive..." He raises a hand before she can protest. "But it was for better rather than worse, for once."

.

"This is insane!" She yelled, eyes trained intently on the flying arrows on the screen as her feet struggled to keep up. "How the hell do those people play this thing without pulling a muscle?"

"You were the one who decided to try Hard-mode after two rounds of Easy," Len scoffed, leaning against the wall and taking a long sip from his freshly-blended banana smoothie.

The girl swore a colourful rainbow at him, but he took no notice; instead, he watched her with half-lidded eyes, rolling the glass in his hands absently.

He'd only come to realize this recently, but—he shouldn't even be referring to Rin as a girl anymore. She had finally blossomed into a lady, one with soft features and even softer curves.

Her demeanour, of course, had not changed one bit—in fact, should anyone bear witness to the way she stomped at the dance-mat and stuck her tongue out the corner of her mouth in intense concentration, they would call her childish and completely unladylike.

Len thought it was terribly endearing, blushing to the tips of his ears as he did.

He seemed to be thinking about her a lot lately, to be honest.

When was the last time he'd thought of Miku, let alone recall the bittersweet feelings he harboured for her?

If the male wasn't thinking very hard, all he would remember of his previous mistress would be her clear, sweet voice and teal pigtails swaying in the wind.

But Rin was a whole other story—he knew her like the back of his palm, from the way she fluffed up her bow as one would to a pillow when she sensed it was flat to the way she cuddled her stuffed panda when she was feeling cold.

He catalogued most, if not all, of her expressions and mannerisms, along with her habits—both good and bad. Even then, she could still surprise him, could still do cute little things that make him want to pull her into his arms and stream kisses into her hair.

Len smiled bitterly to himself, tipping his drink against his mouth to shadow his expression.

Funny how he'd fallen in love with the girl who finally decided to give up on him, he thought, closing his eyes. But—well.

Better late than never, right?

"Rin."

Something about his tone made Rin pause, directing her full attention onto him and ignoring the arrows passing her by. "Mm?"

The male almost faltered under her curious gaze—it was almost too much to bear, the weight of making or breaking the thin threads of their relationship—but knew she deserved it.

She deserved to know that her efforts weren't in vain, after all.

Steeling himself and squaring his shoulders, he said simply, "I'm in love with you."

She froze.

There was no other way to describe her reaction; the girl looked like she'd stopped breathing for that whole moment, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I'm not lying," Len added hastily, as if sensing her thoughts. He could feel the heat radiating from his ears—god, was this how she'd felt when she confessed to him? "I... you got me. Miku was my previous mistress, and I did feel strongly for her, sure, but that was all she was. A mistress I felt strongly for."

"But with you, it's different." He smiled, affection and awkwardness laced around the edges. "You aren't just a mistress to me, you're Rin. You're not afraid to love me despite who—no, _what_ I am, and... I can't help it. Your feelings have reached me and I just..." The male couldn't finish his sentence; he was pretty sure he had never blushed quite that hard in his life, but—

It was worth it, seeing Rin with both hands covering her mouth, her eyes shining with tears.

"You're a few months late, idiot," the girl croaked finally, her smile glowing like sugar and liquid sunshine.

She allowed herself to be wrapped up in his warm embrace, pecking his nose and giggling at the flustered squawk she got in return.

.

"And so we lived happily ever after," she says with a soft smile, the faint traces of bitterness lingering in her voice.

That's what fairytales are—stories with dreams come true and happy endings that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside when you close the final chapter.

"...for about eight blissful years, anyway."

But this fairytale hasn't quite ended yet—or at least, not for them.

.

"Pfft, Len—Len, stop—ah!"

The male pinned her down playfully, nibbling down her neck and jawline as she squealed and squirmed and gasped. His eyes were glittering mischievously, telling her he wasn't planning on stopping his onslaught of affection anytime soon.

_Ding-dong..._

"Mm, someone's at the door," she mumbled against his lips, pushing herself up curiously.

He lifted a shoulder up and down in a careless shrug. "Ignore it," was all he said, his hands sliding over her hips in an attempt to pull attention back to him.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Perv," she accused, squirming out of his grasp and crawling over to pick up his shirt—it would be mortifying to answer the door in a camisole with flimsy straps and short shorts. "Get dressed—I wouldn't want to scar our visitors with the image of you walking around in your boxers."

Len smirked. "I'm your perv," he reminded her, pride swelling up his chest as he watched her put on his clothes. "And don't worry—the only one I'd allow to see me in that little clothing is you."

He grinned when he heard her tinkling laughter as she walked out.

If he'd known that this happiness they shared would be shattered after this, he would have never let her slip away from him to answer the door.

"...um." Rin blinked at the bunch of men in sharp, black suits standing on her doorstep with an intimidating air, and asked hesitantly, "Is something the matter?"

"You're Shimoda Rin, I presume?" At her nod, the man in front of the rest—obviously the leader—smiled primly. "There is something very important to discuss with you—may we come in?"

After ushering them in and settling down in the living room, Rin asked again, "What is it?"

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Shimoda—we are from Crypton Future Media, a company that specializes in making advanced humanoid robots capable of emulating thoughts and emotions," the leader said, taking off and pocketing his sunglasses. "We are aware that you are housing one of our androids in the Vocaloid line—also known as _CV-02 Kagamine Len_, one of the earlier musically-inclined models—and would like to take it off your hands."

"Take it off my hands?" Rin repeated, frowning. There were so many things wrong with this situation that she almost didn't know where to begin. "First of all, Len isn't an '_it_'—it's a '_he_'. Secondly, who said you could take him back? I personally know his first owner Hatsune Miku, and she specifically gave me permission to keep him—"

"That permission has been revoked," the man cut in smoothly, producing an official-looking slip. "Hatsune Mikuo has signed the agreement for CV-02 to be returned to Crypton."

The girl snatched the paper and scanned through it, gaping with disbelief. She had heard that Miku's cousin Mikuo was a jerk—but this was going way too far! "But that's—"

"Rin?" The male-in-question walked in wearing a clean shirt and shorts, having caught her distress from their room and decided to check on her. His eyes flickered with concern. "Rin, what's wrong—who are these people?"

The leader got up and approached him, giving him a critical once-over. "Hmm... CV-02 seems to be in good condition despite its age—and from the slight glow of his physique, it also seems to be active in terms of procreation."

Len's face heated up horribly. "W-what the hell is wrong with you?" He snapped, swatting at the man with no small degree of suspicion. "That's really creepy—Rin, are they bothering you? I can fling their asses out the window if you want."

When he didn't get a reply, he turned. "Rin?"

The woman wordlessly thrust the document into his face.

"...the _fuck_ are you trying to pull," Len demanded harshly upon a brief glance-through, narrowing his eyes at the leader. "This is bullshit—you can't make me leave."

"We can," the man said calmly, "and we will. But because Miss Shimoda has taken care of you for nearly fourteen years, we shall refrain from removing you from the premises by force and bring you back to the laboratory quietly."

"What are you going to do with him?" Rin ventured, eyes flickering with reluctance as she tapped her chin.

"Experimental modifications," came the very vague reply. "We have an upgrade for the Vocaloid line, but—it's mostly classified information, Miss Shimoda, I hope you understand."

Ignoring the blond's cry of _'Rin, you can't be serious!'_ in the background, she asked again, "Will you be sending him back?"

"That cannot be affirmed, unfortunately." Even so, the man didn't look particularly apologetic; his face seemed to be permanently pulled into an unflappable poker-face.

Len was by her side in a heartbeat, grasping her shoulders and shaking her. "Rin—Rin, what are you doing?" Without thinking, he blurted, "Do you not want me around anymore?"

Rin recoiled. "Are you _crazy_?" She snapped, slapping his arms away and smacking him upside the head. "Of course I want you around! But..." She trailed off, hesitant. "An upgrade. You know better than I do that your software has been glitching for a while now, and these new adjustments might actually help."

He knew she meant well, but— "Is there really no other way?"

She looked up at him then, looked up at the familiar broad slopes of his shoulders and tousled pale locks. At the way he gazed right back at her steadily, eyes pained and jaw set.

"Don't make that face—it's not the end of the world, you know," Rin said finally. "You'll be back in no time, I'm sure of it! In fact..." She smiled prettily and patted his cheek. "When you get back, I want you to partner up with me for a dance class."

"A... dance class?"

"Yeah!" She chirped, suddenly excited. She must've been considering this for a while. "Remember that song you have in your song-bank—uh, _A Pair of Wintry Winds_? I found a centre that offers lessons for traditional dances, and I... I want you to dance with me." She tucked a wing of hair behind her ear, embarrassed.

Len's eyes softened considerably. "I'll dance with you," he said, the faint traces of a smile tugging at his lips. "I'll dance with you if—" He caught himself. "—no, _when_ I get back. I promise."

Rin threw herself into his arms, breathing deeply. He always did smell good, she thought dazedly. A unique blend of vanilla and banana. She was going to miss it.

The male stroked her flaxen hair with a warm hand, his expression fond but resigned. He feathered a kiss against the crown of her head, an action he reserved just for her. Shimoda Rin was a tiny thing, really, but her heart was big enough for both of them.

Had their positions been reversed, he sure as hell wouldn't have let her go.

After a moment that passed far too soon, they pulled away, and Len turned to the group of men with grim determination.

"Let's go."

.

"You left," Rin concludes softly. "And so I waited." She fiddles with the pale blanket covering her legs, the material crinkling as her fingers curl around them. "I waited for a long, long time."

He looks down at his hands.

Only he knows the reason why, and she _deserves_ to know why, but...

What happened hadn't exactly been a walk for him, either.

Len doesn't even know where to begin, staying silent despite feeling her kind, expectant gaze on him.

Only he knows the rest of the fairytale that has led up to today.

.

"CV-02, I'm glad you decided to come back to us without a fight," the man said as they walked through the metallic hallways of the labs. "It would have been extremely unpleasant should you have refused."

"Cut the crap, Crypton," Len sneered, shoving his hands into his pockets. The chemical smell floating around was nauseating; it was making his head hurt. "If it weren't for Rin I would've socked you in the face ages ago."

The older male didn't even seem fazed. "So you did recognize me, after all," he said blandly, tapping a few keys on a password panel and stepping through the huge doors, Len following a beat later. "And here I thought you've forgotten your beloved President-slash-Creator. Anyway—the Append firmware has been under the works for a while, but since most of the Vocaloids have been scrapped for years, we didn't have the chance to test it out."

The blond backed away warily when a few men in labcoats approached him with what looked like a metal helmet with suction tubes attached. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" Mister Crypton Hiro, CEO and Founder of Crypton Future Media, turned around to raise his eyebrows at Len. "We're performing the upgrade as promised—but of course, there are a few things that have to be done first." At his insistent glare, the man sighed irritably. "Wiping out your memory files is one of them."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Len demanded, ducking out of reach from a scientist who was a little too close for comfort. "Forget it, you're not gonna touch me—I won't let you delete my files!"

Crypton smiled, a curved dagger glinting under the fluorescent lights. "I'm terribly sorry to disappoint, CV-02..." Len growled fiercely as he found himself backed to a corner of the room—with nowhere else to run.

"...but I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

.

"_Loading..."_

There was a slight movement under the eyelids.

"_Loading..."_

His fingers twitched slowly.

"'_Kagamine Len' is now activated. Condition: Normal."_

With a flutter of eyelashes, he blinked open his eyes, the shade of blue vast and empty.

A man in a clean-pressed black suit stepped into his line of vision, smirking like he had the fate of the universe resting in his hands.

"Hello there," he greeted, leaning forward. "What is your model number?"

"CV-02: Append." The robot's voice was flat and held no emotions whatsoever.

"Mm-hm, right—and do you know what your assigned name is?"

He tilted his head; it was like a tectonic plate shifting. "Kagamine Len."

The man's smirk widened, if that was even possible, and he straightened up. It seemed that the erasing process had gone smoothly. "Good, good. Now, do you have a master?"

If everything was settled, then they could—

"Yes."

Crypton paused. Turned back to regard him for a moment.

"... Elaborate."

"My mistress is Shimoda Rin," Len said, looking down at the intricate gold designs lining his black arm-warmers. "And I am in love with her."

A shadow crossed the man's face.

Impossible.

"Run the process again," he barked, striding off without a backward glance. "Make sure you clean everything thoroughly."

.

"_My name is Kagamine Len, and I am in love with my mistress, Shimoda Rin."_

"_I only have one mistress."_

"_Shimoda Rin is the sole owner of CV-02: Append."_

"Impossible," Crypton Yuki snarls, banging a fist on the desk. "What do you mean she still can't be erased? It's been years and we finally made adjustments to the memory-wipe machine—make good use of it, you bumbling morons!"

"B-but sir—"

"_Sir, we have a breach in security in one of the labs!"_ A voice crackles through the intercom. He glances over and presses a button.

"Status report."

"_CV-02 has escaped!"_

.

"You know, when you said, '_Hey, let's go steal a robot_'," begins a teenager running faster than she ever will for a school marathon, "I didn't think you meant it _literally_!"

An older brunet huffs, the heavy figure bopping up and down on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he hurries. "If you're not saying anything constructive," he shoots back, "I suggest you shut up and _run faster_!"

It doesn't take long for the pair to lose the security guards chasing after them; it takes even less for them to head to the boy's house before anyone catches sight of them.

"That was close," he sighs, collapsing into a chair and dumping the humanoid robot on the sofa carelessly. After a moment of quiet breathing, he sits up and grins. "I can't believe we actually did that. _Awesome_!" He cheers.

The girl slams a hand down on his head, scowling heavily. "_Never again_," she snaps, pulling her hair-ties out to rearrange her messy locks. "You really are an idiot, Meito, you know that?"

He glares back at her, ready to spit out a retort when a faint rustling is heard.

They whip around in the general direction of the noise, relaxing when they realize it's just the robot slumping over on its side.

Wait—_the robot!_

"Kumiko, c'mere!" The boy calls excitedly, rushing over and righting the android back into a sitting position. It looks so real, with smooth skin and realistic proportions—his grandparents weren't babbling nonsense, after all!

She moves over, marvelling at the quality of its clothes—a tight-fitting, sleeveless white shirt and black slacks, both glowing with swirling gold patterns. "How do you think we switch it on?" She asks, teal eyes travelling over the length of his still body curiously.

"Hm. Good question." Meito prods the robot with a cautious finger here and there, but—nothing. "I... have no idea."

Kumiko hums thoughtfully as she continues the tedious task of fixing her teal hair up into short twin pigtails. "Maybe it doesn't work anymore—I mean, it looks kinda ancient."

"Aw, man..." The boy's dark blue eyes grow dim in disappointment as he sulks. "And here I thought we'd finally struck gold..."

She eyes the shiny white headphones on his ears, a devious smile creeping onto her face. "Not necessarily—check these babies out." She gestures to the object of her interest, and leans over to take them off the android.

The instant the headphones are gone, the sound of machines whirling to life fills the air.

"_Loading..."_

They jump at the strange, electronic voice, startled.

"_Loading..."_

Without hesitation, Meito brings the girl closer to him, bracing himself for the worst.

"'_Kagamine Len' is now activated. Condition: Normal."_

To their utter amazement, the robot's eyes blink open, its gaze sweeping across the room and landing on them.

Then, as if in confusion, it zeroes in on the wide-eyed girl.

"Whoa there, buddy," Meito says, pushing her behind him as the android gets up and approaches them rapidly. "Don't do anything stupid."

It shoves him out of the way wordlessly and effortlessly, looking down at the frightened girl with unreadable blue eyes, and then: "... Miss Miku?"

The two teens blink.

Slowly, Kumiko asks, "...how do you know my grandmother's name?"

.

Len walks down the hallway, every small, measured step he takes feeling heavy like there's lead in his shoes. His eyes are dull—not like when he'd just been booted up, no, but because he can't bring himself to feel anything anymore.

He's numb everywhere, and his electric heart has frozen over with no way to thaw.

Suddenly the hallway ahead seems devoid of people milling around and looks a lot longer than it should; it's like a maze that's never ending, stretching on forever.

.

"_Mikuo had remembered what happened—or rather, what _didn't_ happen—between you and me. He thought Rin's love for you wasn't healthy, and so he went ahead to do what he did, but—he'd meant well. I'm sure he didn't think this would happen. I can't apologize enough on his behalf."_

"_The girl you mistook for me just now is my granddaughter, Kumiko. Her name came from a mesh of Mikuo's and my own name, because of her resemblance to us." A small, humourless smile. "Ironically, her best friend is Meito, who is named after Kaito-sensei and Meiko-sensei, his own grandparents."_

"_It hasn't been that long," the male forced a laugh, raking a hand through his hair. It was trembling. "I mean, I was at the lab for a while, sure, but..." He faltered, but his companion remained silent._

"_I promised," he whispered finally. "I promised to come back."_

"_Len," the clear, sweet voice said tiredly. Familiarly. "Len, look at me."_

_As if he hadn't heard her, he stared at the wall straight ahead blankly, shaking his head in disbelief. "It's... it's impossible. How can it be—?"_

_The shadowy figure moved out of the darkness carefully, the silvery metal of the handles and wheels glinting under the dim light. The older woman could only smile faintly as he reeled back, inhaling sharply and staggering backwards in muted horror._

_Miku tried to break the news to him with as gently as she could._

"_Len... you've been gone for nearly fifty years."_

.

He looks down at the piece of paper wrinkled in his hand—light, creased and torn, but held the most important information he'd ever need in this lifetime.

Despite how slow he's been walking, the male has finally reached his destination, apprehension gnawing at his insides. He looks up at the wooden door with dread, _'what if's_ echoing around in his head.

But if there's one thing he'd learnt from her...

_There's no point in hesitation._

_Just go for it._

Strengthening his resolve, he reaches for the cool surface of the door handle and wrenches it open in one swift motion.

.

"Len? Len, what's wrong?"

Len blinks when calloused fingers touch his cheek—ah, there are tear tracks running down his face. They were just talking about memories—when did he start crying?

He scrubs at his face with a rough swipe of his hand, putting on a brave smile. "Hm? I'm alright. I was just thinking about something that made me a little sad."

Rin relaxes then, leaning back against the fluffy stack of pillows propped up behind her. "That's good," she says, the skin of her face crinkling like paper as she smiles. "I wouldn't want you to be sad, Len—that's the last thing I'd ever want." She looks so small in that large bed of hers, small and vulnerable as she's swallowed up in all that white.

He wants nothing more than to wrap up her tiny figure in his arms and embrace her, feeling her head fit under the crook of his neck perfectly like always, to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and tell her that's she's the single most beautiful, strongest and most perfect woman he's ever known—

But he can't. Oh god, he just _can't_.

If he touches her now, he'll break down and crumble to pieces, and then she'll have to be the one to comfort him.

And so he conceals his desperations beneath his calm facade, hoping to keep her blissfully unaware as long as he's around—like an ever-youthful prince trying valiantly to keep his precious princess happy.

"Where did those flowers come from?" Rin asks, gesturing slowly towards the clusters of pretty flowers arranged neatly in a nearby vase.

The male swivels his gaze over and brings it closer to her. "Oh, I brought them in earlier when you were asleep. Do you like them?" He wisely bites his tongue from adding, _Don't you remember seeing them the first time?_

She nods once, grazing her fingers against the purple petals lightly. "Shion flowers," she murmurs. "I read them from my book on flowers once. I can't remember what they mean, tho—"

Before she can finish her sentence, Rin breaks out into a violent fit of coughs, alarming Len greatly. He drops the vase onto the bedside table with a clatter and pours a glass of water from the flask with quivering hands.

By the time he turns back, the elderly woman is clutching at her chest and taking deep breaths to steady her heart rate. He holds up the glass for her, and she looks up at him with a blink.

"...Len? Is that you?"

He freezes, his grip tightening and causing a hairline crack to appear on the surface of the glass.

_No_, he can feel his heart crying out, _no, please, don't do this—not again._

Shakily, the male swallows and topples backwards into his seat—his weakened legs have buckled beneath his weight. "Yeah," he manages to say steadily. "Yeah, it's me."

She gasps softly, her blue eyes slowly brimming with tears. "L-Len..." She breathes, extending a hand out to feather against the curve of his cheek, as if to make sure that he's there, right there in her reach and _real_. "It's been so, so long..."

Len chokes, his throat constricting on him as he struggles to reply. His vision is blurring; it's taking almost everything in him not to let out a desperate sob.

"I know," he croaks out at last, sucking in a painful breath of air. "I know. I... I'm sorry for the wait."

The smile that quirks the corners of her lips upwards is full of trust and understanding. "It's alright," she says peacefully. "At least you kept your promise."

Len almost wishes she wasn't so forgiving—perhaps the ache in his heart wouldn't be so heartbreaking. "Well," he begins slowly, reaching up to take her wrinkly hands in his smooth ones. "I couldn't leave my best girl."

The male rubs his fingers over hers tenderly and leans down to press a kiss to her knuckles, his tears clinging to his eyelashes, stay, don't let go—not just yet.

"Not when she still owes me a dance."

His kiss tastes of sweet memories and the end of a fairytale.

.

The light purple flowers in their crystal vase sway gently in the breeze, as if in time with the soft, pretty chords of _A Pair of Wintry Winds_ wafting throughout the room—along with the two voices singing along in quiet harmony.

.

_i've never forgotten, and still remember, even now—  
and just like always, i love you._

.

**owari.**

.

.

.

**a/n:** this will be my last big project before i officially start school in two weeks—hopefully i can write some small fics _but no promises i am a lazyass_—buuuttt if anyone's interested, last month i did a 30 day otp challenge for lenrin on my writing tumblr /blatant self-advertising

bonus: shion flowers are also known as _aster tataricus_, which mean 'i won't forget you'.

**disclaimer:** i do not own Vocaloid, Kagamine Rin's _Kokoro_ or Kagamine Len and Rin's _Seasonal Feathers_. neither do i own Hatsune Miku's _Hirari, Hirari_, and Kaito and Meiko's _Tsugai Kogarashi_.


End file.
